I love eggs. I really do.
If you asked me to name ten of my favourite foods, I’d say nine of them would involve eggs. Because one of them is chocolate.
They’re such a versatile ingredient that it’d be harder to think of ways NOT to use eggs .
Poached, scrambled, fried, hard boiled, soft boiled, in puns, whipped into foam and baked, the ways in which they can be utilized are eggs-tensive.
But just when I thought I was an eggs-pert on all the ways an egg can be prepared, in walks Jammy Eggs.
Jammy eggs are something that I’ve only recently came across despite it being all the rage for quite awhile now . You’ve probably seen these eggs with their jewel centers of liquid gold before without realizing you were having Jammy Eggs, be it in that latest Instagrammble cafe or your favourite ramen shop (known as ajitsuke tamago). It is really a thing of simple beauty when done right.
So, what exactly are they?
Jammy Eggs are the in-between state of full boiled and half boiled eggs. Bringing out the best of both egg worlds, it is an egg where the whites are cooked and set while the yolk remains soft and creamy, and almost spreadable, but not too liquid as to overflow. You might also know them as 7 -minute eggs, but I like Jammy Eggs better. Makes them sound groovy.
How can they be used ?
A variety of ways! You can basically incorporate Jammy Eggs in anyway you use your favourite type of eggs for. In sandwiches, on toast, in salads, as scotch eggs, served with ramen. Or just on it’s own sprinkled with a little salt & pepper.
Obviously, I had to make these for myself.
The method seemed straightforward enough. Place some eggs in hot water and take them out when they’re done, right? Well, yes and no. You see, boiling eggs is something of an art form. You can get the best free range Grade A+ eggs, use a high end heat-tech pot, measure your boiling water with a state-of-the-art food thermometer, and still end up with various consistencies every time.
It is a process you have to trust yourself to master. It is a relationship you have to nurture with said egg. Be liquid yolk, my friend
Here is my breakdown of how to get the perfect Jammy Egg.
Method:
- Bring water in pot to a rolling boil before lowering the heat to a simmer.
- Lower eggs into water
- Boil for about 6-7minutes
- Remove eggs and immediately place in ice water
- Gently peel and cut into half before serving
Tips:
- I find chilled eggs that have been brought out to room temperature while the water boils to be the best state to create the final Jammy Egg texture. As the outside will begin to cook first, it leaves the middle yolk nice and runny while setting the whites.
- Make sure the water level covers your eggs by about 1 inch to make sure even cooking.
- Adjust cooking time by +/- 1 minute, depending on how you like the consistency of the yolks, the size of your eggs, number of eggs and the size of your pot.
- Eggs that are a few days old are ideal as it makes peeling the shells off easier
I find boiling eggs straight from the fridge for 6.5 minutes results in my favourite texture. Softly cooked whites, creamy yolks with still a little bit of ooze in the centre. But there are no hard rules, feel free to adjust it to your liking !
Here, I had mine with avocados on toast and a sprinkling of salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
Jammy eggs are definitely something that I’ll be adding to my expanding list of favourite ways to have eggs. I hope they make it into your list too. ❤
Gudeiary 